I agree with you Sadie, a million percent. NO FRICKEN WAY! Teaches no values at all. Earn what you spend. And I managed to get through my life until the age of 30 without a cell phone, the only reason I have one now is because M bought it for me and gave it to me and pays the bill.

_________________You can sing the praises of women all day long, but as long as you put a fertilized egg ahead of [their] welfare, you do not really care about them.-Dori 4/07

Well, it would be interesting to get them, for one time purposes, with a low max-out (if that's possible), and see how fast they do max it out. Then have them how they'd pay it off before they can possibly use it again.

If I had kids still at home, in the preteen stage, I might get them a clothing store credit card with a reasonable maximum...say $300. (Not sure if there are credit cards with such a low maximum!) BUT, before they could use it for a purchase, they'd have to make sure the entire bill could be paid at the end of the month with their own money. Finance charges would be a NO-NO.

The reason I'd do it would be to try to help them learn to manage money. I see this as rather like those programs at the high schools in which a student has to take home a doll, which is designed to require all the care a real baby needs, to make the students aware of the responsibility of parenthood.

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"Behind every great fortune lies a great crime."Honore de Balzac

"Democrats work to help people who need help. That other party, they work for people who don't need help. That's all there is to it."~Harry S. Truman